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Abstract: Inter-organizational collaboration is known as source of innovation. Recently, collaborative innovation processes have gained attention under the term "Open Innovation". As a result of its expected positive effects, several types of cooperation emerged. These range from short-term, project-based cooperation to long-term, institutionalized innovation networks. Literature is rich on theories explaining collaborative innovation and inter-organizational networks, and resulting barriers to innovation that prevent a full use of all partners' resources. However, methods and processes that facilitate innovation in these networks are in need of further investigations.
We briefly recapitulate theories explaining the formation of innovation networks, eventually deriving central challenges the networks. The challenges were backed by interviews with 49 representatives of 24 organizations active in one such network. Based on additional interviews with 18 representatives of five different innovation cooperations, we present instruments that promise to foster collaborative innovation in the domains human resources, structure, management and financials, and culture.
Keywords: Collaborative Innovation, Decentralized Networks, University- Industry-Collaboration, R&D Cooperation, Barriers to Innovation
1 Introduction
Cooperation is ever-present in production lines, research and development, and even in activities that precede the exploration of a single idea, i.e. in foresighting activities. The often-propagated open approach in innovation development - 'Open Innovation' as coined by Chesbrough in 2003 (Chesbrough, 2003) - established cooperation for innovation further. Cooperation among organizations takes many forms, ranging from short-term project-oriented partnerships to long-term partnerships with cross investments of the partners or the creation of joint ventures. One organizational form that has gained momentum is the decentralized network organization. Therein, partners join forces to collaboratively achieve a predefined purpose but remain autonomous organizations in a polycentric network (Kontos, 2004). Reasons for the trend towards innovation networks are diverse. Information and communication technologies (ICT) provide a good example for explaining it.
ICT is at the core of numerous products from various industries. In fact, it is the foundation for innovation in knowledge-intensive domains today. Its importance for many industries still increases at a fast pace, e.g. in automotive, energy, logistics and health ("Human Development Report 2001: Making new technology work for human development," 2001). Accordingly, product and service complexity is increasing steadily (Freeman, 1994). Thus, companies need to possess the ability to handle the complexity, ways to internalize knowledge that is...